2014 World Cup: Switzerland's Player Ratings vs Argentina

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As expected, Switzerland stayed back for most of the game to take advantage of their amazing counterattacks. But the gameplan didn't pay off, as Argentina managed to score a last-minute goal that ended the Swiss' hopes. Find out how each Swiss player did.

GK - Diego Benaglio

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GK - Diego Benaglio

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If you didn't know who Diego Benaglio was before the game, you're definitely aware of his presence now. He's one of the most underrated goalkeepers in the world and showed that he can come up huge against tough teams. He saved shots from di Maria, Palacio, Higuain and Messi. There was nothing he could do on di Maria's goal. 8.5 out of 10 for Benaglio.

RB - Stephan Lichtsteiner

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RB - Stephan Lichtsteiner

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Stephan Lichtsteiner managed to close off his side relatively well throughout the game. Argentina focused their attacks on the opposite flank, as Marcos Rojo, Ezequiel Lavezzi and Gonzalo Higuain were all unable to get past Lichtsteiner. 8 out of 10 for the Juventus defender.

CB - Johan Djourou

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CB - Johan Djourou

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He was Switzerland's best defender for large portions of the game. He's deceptively quick and managed to defend Higuain and Lavezzi extremely well. He was never beaten in the air and had a number of key tackles. That said, he did have a number of mistakes when it came to passing or clearing the ball during the first half. 8 out of 10 for Djourou.

CB - Fabian Schar

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CB - Fabian Schar

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Fabian Schar was the surprise inclusion in the Swiss starting 11, and he responded well to the call. He functioned well within the team defense and covered his zone quite well. But like any other defender in the world, he had troubles marking Messi. 7 out of 10 for Schar.

LB - Ricardo Rodriguez

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LB - Ricardo Rodriguez

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Ricardo Rodriguez had the regrettable task of defending Angel di Maria all game. And while it was an extremely tough battle for 120 minutes, Rodriguez didn't do bad at all. He was beaten a couple of times on the dribble, but he also managed to steal the ball away from di Maria as well as Messi a number of times. He wasn't able to go on his usual offensive runs, though. 6.5 out of 10 for Rodriguez.

CM - Valon Behrami

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CM - Valon Behrami

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While Valon Behrami started off the game with a of couple mistakes, he was able to compose himself and finish strong. Alongside Gokhan Inler, he was constantly bothering Messi and never let him near a ball without hounding him. He also managed to start a number of Swiss counterattacks. He did, however, foul players near the 18-yard box too much. 7.5 out of 10 for Behrami.

CM - Gokhan Inler

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CM - Gokhan Inler

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It was an inspiring performance from Gokhan Inler against Argentina. He lived up to the expectations and bossed the midfield for large portions of the match. He constantly anticipated the Argentine offense on their passes and led the Swiss counterattacks from deep. He always made the right pass and did his best to stop Messi. His only mistake was leaving him wide open for the lone goal. 8 out of 10 for Inler.

CAM - Xherdan Shaqiri

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CAM - Xherdan Shaqiri

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During the first half, Xherdan Shaqiri was the best player on the field. His nifty dribbling skills and blazing speed were the perfect tools to take advantage of the slow and ill-positioned Argentine defense. As Switzerland started to drop back more and more, he got the ball a lot less. But whenever he received the ball, the Argentine defense couldn't handle him. 8 out of 10 for Shaqiri.

RW - Granit Xhaka

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RW - Granit Xhaka

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Granit Xhaka had a fantastic chance to get on the scoreboard, but he was denied by Sergio Romero's fantastic reflexes. Outside of his lone strike on goal, he didn't do anything else on offense. He focused more on containing Marcos Rojo and did well in that sense before being subbed out. 5 out of 10 for Xhaka.

LW - Admir Mehmedi

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LW - Admir Mehmedi

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It was a fantastic game from Admir Mehmedi, who alongside Shaqiri was Switzerland's best offensive option. Whenever the ball was at Mehmedi's feet, the Swiss attack gained a dose of clarity and class. He created a number of chances for Switzerland and was a major headache for Pablo Zabaleta. 7.5 out of 10 for Mehmedi.

ST - Josip Drmic

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ST - Josip Drmic

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It was a bad game for Josip Drmic, who was asked to battle against Federico Fernandez and Ezequiel Garay by himself. He was drowned out for almost the entire game, except for one play where he was all by himself against the goalkeeper. He foolishly elected to try and chip it, losing Switzerland's best chance to score. 3 out of 10 for Drmic.

Sub - Haris Seferovic

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Sub - Haris Seferovic

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Haris Seferovic was brought in to try and finish off the Swiss counterattacks, but he hardly made any difference. The couple of times he was given the ball, he was far too back to cause any damage. He did little to bother the Argentine defenders. 4 out of 10 for Seferovic.

Sub - Blerim Džemaili

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Sub - Blerim Džemaili

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Blerim Džemaili will want to forget today. When Argentina scored and Switzerland threw all their players to the front, Džemaili had the best chance to send the game to penalties. His header ricocheted off the post, and on the rebound it unluckily drifted wide. No one could believe the miss, and Džemaili will have to live with that for the next four years. 3 out of 10 for Džemaili.

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